Mechanical stoker.



PATENTED JAN. la, 19u07'. W.'H. sTRoUsE.'

' MECHANICAL sToKER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.19, 1906.

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PALTBNTBD JAN. 8,1907.

W. H. smoUsE. MECHANICAL s ToKER. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 19. 19.06.

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PATENTED`JAN. 8, 1907.

W.'H-.`sTRoU'sE. MEGHANIGAL'STOKER.

APPLICATION FILED-P11319. 1906.

` Wil-'nemen THE NoRRIs PETERS co., wAsfmoron. n. c.

UNITED s-fnains7 PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM l-I. STROSE, OF OSKALOOSA, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO W. H. STROUSE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF OSKALOOSA, IOWA,

A CORPORATION OF IOWA.

. MEGHANICALSTOKER.

Patented Jan. 8, 1907.

To all whom it muy coz/acervo,.-v I Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. STRoUsE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oskaloosa, in the county of Mahaska and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Stokers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being hadlto the ac- TO companying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the iigures of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to mechanical stokers of that type adapted particularly,

I 5 though not exclusively, for use on locomotive-engines, the objects of the invention being to provide a simple and practical form of Stoker Well calculated to withstand rough usage and to handle with equal facility vall 2O grades of fuel, which Stoker may be applied to or used in connection with locomotive `fire-l boxes as at present constructed without material alteration in the hre-box itself or the parts associated therewith.

2 5 A further object of the invention is to provide a Stoker which will automatically and under effective manual control distribute the fuel uniformly over the ventire grate-surface The invention consists in certain novel de-` tails of construction andcombinations and arrangements of parts, all as will be now described, and pointed out particularly in the. appiended claims.

3 5 eferring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a stoker embodying the present improvements` mounted in osition before the front wall of a locomotive-furnace, which front wall is shown in section. Fig. 2 is an elevation looking at the outer end of the stoker, certain non-essential parts being omitted or broken away. Fig. 3 is a detail Sectional elevation showin the door-frame and door with the bed of t e stoker in section.A Figa 4 is a top plan view of the parts shown in Fig. l1, with the hopper, 4reciprocatory plunger, and st'oker-door frame omitted, the front wall of the `furnace being shown in horizontal 5o section.v Fig. 5' is an elevation, .partly in section, through the reciprocatory plun er and its operating cylinder and piston, t is view also showing the valves for'controlling, ,l

the admission and exhaust ports of the cylinder. Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5. tion through the opposite end of the valve and valve-chest from that shown in- Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a horizontal section through the valve-chest alone, -the valves being omitted. Fig. 9 is a detail vertical section through a portion of 'one end of the operating-cylinder to show the supplemental inlet vports and valves. Fig. 10is an enlarged elevation oi' one end of the valve-chest to illustrate-details of the valve-operating mechanism. Fig. 11 is a plan view, partly broken away, showing further details of the valve-operating. mechanism. Fig.` 12 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of the reciprocatory plunger. Fig. 13 is a transverse section through the plungerv to show the head or nose in rear elevation.

Like reference-numbers indicate the same parts in all the figures. i

A fragment of the front wall of a locomotive fire-box havingthe usual iire-door or 'fuel-opening therein is indicated inlfthe accompanying drawings by the number 15. The stoking mechanism of the present invention is adapted to be brought into registry with the fuel-opening and in such relation that the fuel will be carried through the opening and projected by the stoking mechanism into the rebox and evenly distributed 1 over the grate-surface. The stokingv mechanism is ppeferably removably mounted in front lof the e-box, for which purpose thev body or main operating parts are preferably carried on a frame 16, having casters or wheels 17 to facilitate the movements to and fromvthe fuelopening. When in place, it is locked rigidly to the front of the fire-box by lugs 18, passing through openings in side iianges ofthe frame, asfshown in Figs. 2 and 3, cotters or pins being-passedthrough the lugs 18 to retain the stoking mechanism in position. The frame 16 embodies a bed having ways or guides 19, Fig. 3, for areciprocatory plunger 20, the forward portion of the i bed 19 being curved downwardly at the center, as shown in Fig. 3, and extended within the fuel-opening in the form of ak projection 21, the side flanges and edgesof whichv register withl a temporary ,door-frame, ,in whichy a door 23 is hinged v,nea/1 its, lThe door 23 is when in Fig. 7 is a detail vertical secv roo its closed position inclined to the vertical, as best shown in Fig. 1, and inwardly-projecting flanges 24* on the door-frame 22 serve as the side walls between which the door is adapted to pass when swinging from its closed to its open position, or vice versa. The door itself is preferably made relatively light in order to overcome the effects of inertia and momentum, and it is maintained'in its closed position with its lower` edge against the projection 21 of the frame by a spring 25, anchored at its upper end and connected at its lower end with a crank-arm 26 on the pintle of the door. The door-frame, together with v the door, are preferably held in position by a hingeplate 27, Fig. 3, to which the door-frame is connected by a horizontal pin 28, the opposite side of the frame being held by a hook and staple 29, whereby, when desired, the door-frame, together with the door, may be lifted to disengage the hook and staple 29 and then turned away from the opening to permit of free access to the fireboX without the necessity of moving the stoking mechanism proper.

Surmounting the forward portion of the frame 16 and surrounding the fuel-opening is a hopper 30, into which the fuel is dumped by anysuitable means,such as a conveyer or by shoveling, and this hopper is preferably removably held in place by fastenings or hooks 31 at each side. The relation of the hopper and door 23 is preferably such that when the hopper is filled or partially filled with fuel and the plunger retracted the fuel will pass down in front of the plunger, and by reason of the inclination of the door the fuel will not cause a suflicient pressure against the door itself to open the same, and at the same time by reason of such inclination of the door the body of fuel lying in front of the plunger will be partly within the fuel-opening of the furnace, and forward movement of the plunger will cause the immediate opening of the door with an expenditure of the least possible power. j

Power mechanism is provided for giving the plunger a rapid reciprocation from its retracted position (indicated in Fig. l) forwardly until its nose or fuel-projecting end passes into the fire-box to a greater or less extent, as desired by the fireman or as required by the configuration of the fire-box or fuel conditions of the grate. The power mechanism referred to is preferably in the form of a cylinder 32, located in rear of the nose of the plunger well up within the side flanges of\the rear end of the plunger and a piston 33, working in the cylinder and connected by arod 34 with the central web 35 in the nose of the plunger. Steam for reciprocating the piston `is admitted through inlet and exhaust ports 36 from a valve and steam chest 37, to which steam is supplied from the boiler through a pipe 38, leading to a throttlevalve 39 on one side of the steam and valve chest. While any desired type of valve for controlling the admission and exhaust ports may be employed, that adopted for illustrationnin the present device is an oscillatory valve having a valve-rod 40, projecting at each end of the valve-chest, and valve-heads 41, adapted by the oscillation of the rod to put the ports 36 alternately into communication with the live-steam space of the valvechest, as shown in Fig. 7, or with the cX- haust-port 42, as shown in Fig. 6. Thus when the valve-stem is oscillated in one direction the port 36 at one end of the cylinder is open to steam from the boiler and that at the opposite end is open to exhaust, and vice versa. To effect lthe automatic operation of the valve in accordance with the movements of the plunger, the valve-stem is provided with projecting arms 43 at its opposite ends, and vertically-swinging levers 44, pivoted at opposite sides of the frame, are provided with pins or projections 45 for coperation with the arms 43. Extending vertically from the free ends of the levers 44 are links 46, connected at their upper ends with long levers 47, located on opposite sides of the cylinder, as shown in Fig. 4, one pivotally mounted in the frame at 48 near the outer end of the cylinder and the other pivotally mounted in the frame at 49 near the inner end of the cylinder. Depression of one or the other of the levers 47, it is thus obvious, will move thc valve in one direction or the other, and in order to effect the depression of the levers in accordance with the movements of the plungers the said plunger is provided with oppositclyarrange( inclines 50 at its rear end, (see Figs. 1 and 12,) which inclines are adapted to contact with movable projections or blocks 51 on the levers 47, said blocks or projections 51, as shown in Fig. 4, being located near the free ends of said levers, but capable of a movement thereon to vary the 'stroke of the plunger, as will be presently described.

Obviously antifriction-rollers may be mounted on the projections 51, and in operation as the plunger reaches the outer extreme of its movement the incline 50, cooperating with the projection 51, depresses the lever 47, thereby shifting the valve to change the relation of the inlet and exhaust ports, so that the piston will be advanced, and as thel plunger reaches the opposite extreme of its movement the other lever 47 is similarly depressed to reverse the valve and cause the piston and plunger to move in the opposite direction, these movements being continued so long as the proper relation of the parts is preserved.

It' is obvious that by making the projections 51 movable on the levers 47 the valve may be caused to shift at different points in the stroke of the plunger, and this is utilized, first, to vary the forward movement of the IOO plunger as desired in order to project the fuel a greater or less distance into the fire-box, and, secondly, to insure the stopping of the plunger when its motion isto be arrested only when in its retracted position.

To shift the projection 51, controlling the forward movementof the plunger, it is connected by a link 52 (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1) with an arm 53 on a rock-shaft 54, carryin on its outer end afhand-lever 55, adapted to be locked in adjusted position by an ordinary locking-pawl coperating with a segment 56 on the frame. `Obviously by moving the hand-lever 55 the projection '51 will be shifted,` and as this hand-lever controls the forwardmovement ofthe plunger it preferably has a relativelyl wide range of movement,I sojthat the plungery may be pro-I jected much or little, `as desired.

For shiftin the projection 51 `at the outer end of the cy inder it is connected by a link 57 with an arm'58 on a hand-lever 59, jour-l naled on the rock-shaft 54, and this hand-lever 59, in addition to controlling the position of the projection 51, is also adapted tocontrol the throttle-valve 39, forwhich purpose the said throttle-valve is vprovided with a crank-arm 60, the crank end of which projects 'through a slot 61 in the lever 59. rlhe.

relation of the parts is preferably suchthat as the lever 59 is moved in a direction to close the throttle-valve and cut 0E steam from the valve-chest and cylinder such movement will prior to the closing of the valve shift the projection 51 out of range of the incline 50, and

consequently whenA the plunger reaches the l rear eXtreme of its movement the exhaust and admission valve willv not be shifted, and the plunger will come'to rest in this position just prior to the closing of the throttle,

As heretofore stated, the plunger is adapted to lbe operated at a relatively high speed, and hence provision for preventing undue shock at the ends of its movements is desirable. Practice has demonstrated that this can best be accomplished by admitting livesteam pressure in front of the piston just prior to the time when it reaches theextreme of its movement," and in the preferred con-` struction this live steam, which serves as a cushion and as a means forarresting the movement of the plunger and piston, is ad-v mitted by a valve mechanism entirely independent of the valve mechanism heretofore described. As a most convenient arrange- 'ment the cylinder is provided with a long live-steam passage 62 in communication, through a pipe 63, Fig. 4, with the supplypipe 65, leading from the boiler. At each end of the pressure-chamber 62` and in suitable housings 66 on the hea-dsof the cylinder are valve-casings 67 ,having ports 68 leading directly intothe ends of the cylinder. Piston-valves 69 are mounted in the valve-casings 67 and are adapted to close the ports 68 when in their inner'position, as shown clearly in Fig. 9, under which conditions no steam can enter the cylinder from the live-steam chamber. stem 70, projecting into the cylinder andin position to contact with the piston as the latter reachesextremes of its movement, whereby the valve willbe opened for the admission of pressure infront of the piston. As shown in Fig. 9, the valve-casings67 are'provided with` ongitudinal grooves71 topermit of the passage of steam past the valve 69 when the latter is pushed outwardly. Thus the valve itself may be accurately fitted to the casing and the necessity of employing bearings for maintaining the valve-stem in alinement is avoided.

`To eHect the' pro er distribution of the fuel thrust through tlie fuel-opening beneath the door, theforward end or nose of the lunger is given a configuration which wil in a measure support the fuel or a portion thereof against dropping directly down and at the same time impart to the fuel or a portion thereof a lateral impulse, so as to effect distribution to the sides ofthe furnace. .The formation of the preferred type of nose-piece for projecting the fuel is .best shown in Figs. 12 and 13, and by reference to these figures it will be seen that the lower or under face 7 2 -of the nose-piece is curved downwardlyto conform to the curvature of the bed, as shown in Fig. l3. The forward edge of the nosepiece is curved or rounded, as shown at 73 in Fig. 12, while from the center of the forward edge two defiecting faces 74 curve upwardly and outwardly to the top and sides of the plunger. e The base of the nose-piece forwardv of the curved deflector 74 and forwardly-extending flanges 75 constitutejthe suipporting portion of the noseieee before re erred to, while the upwardy andl outwardly curved defiecting-faces 74, which come substantially to a point at the center of the plunger, constitute the means for projecting the fuel laterally to the sides of the furnace, as before indicated. j

To prevent any possibility of clogging and to facilitate the openingand closing of the door, the upper side or face 76 of thenosepiece is curved down to meet the base at the forward end,f as shown in Figs. 1 and 5.

The steam connection between the pipes 38 and 65, the former being ymovable with the stoking mechanism and the latterbeing connected with the boiler, is preferably effected"by a detachable coupling, as shown at 77, although it will be obviousthat a flexible pipe or any-well-knownform of couplingmay e. employed, and incase the stoking mechanism is mounted ermanently inl position before the fire-box tiie steam connection may be of a permanent character.

Each valve is provided with a IOO IIO

In operation the throttle-valve is normally i projected by the plunger as distinguished from being merely pushed forward and allowed to drop into the fire-box or being delivered to a separate and independent projeeting or deflecting mechanism. Should an insufficient quantity of fuel reach the inner end of the fire-box, the range of movement given the plunger may be increased, and should the quantity of fuel at the front of the fire-box be insufficient the range of movement imparted to the plunger may be de- -creased without arresting its movements and without manipulation other than to change the time ofshifting the valve by proper adjustment of the hand-lever 55.

Should it be desired, the'hopper 30 may be removed from its position andthe door, together with its frame, lifted and swung off to one side, thereby giving access to the furnace without. the necessity of moving the body of the stoker, and, on the other hand, should it be desired to remove .the stoker this may be accomplished by removing the pins from the lugs 18, disconnecting the steam-coupling 77, and drawing the whole stoking apparatus, including the hopper, away'from in front of the furnace. The door-frame under such circumstances will remain in place, and the door itself swinging down into vertical position will close the fuelopening, so as to prevent the access of air, or, if so desired, the door, together with its frame, may be removed by disconnecting its hinged plate 57 from the ordinary hingeugs on the furnace-front and the regular furnacedoor substituted, as will be readily understood.

It will be noted that when the plunger is at rest, with Ithe throttle-valve closed and the projection 5l at the rear end of the cylinder out of engagement with the incline 50, a reverse or forward movement of the lever 59 will first bring the projection 5l into engagement with .the incline, thereby moving the admission and exhaust valve into proper position to admit pressure at the rear end of the cylinder, and thus the valve is, in eeet, shifted manually to inaugurate the movements of the plunger. Should it be desired to manipulate the inlet and exhaust valve by hand, a hand-lever 8O is rovided on the end of the valve-rod 40 to facilitate this operation.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a mechanical stoker, the combination of a reeiprocatory plunger having a fuelprojecting nose at its forward end provided with outwardlyy and rearwardly curved deflecting-faces and a power mechanism for imparting reciproeations to said plunger.

2. In a mechanical stoker, the combination of the reciprocatory plunger having a fuel-projecting nose at its forward end embodying outwardly and rearwardly curved deflecting-faces and fuel-supporting flanges projecting forwardly at the lower edges of said defleeting-faees; substantially as described.

3. In a mechanical stoker, the combination of a reciprocatory plunger having a fuelprojecting nose at its forward end embodying a downwardly-curved upper surface, laterally-curved deflecting-faces with their forward portions meeting at substantially the center of the nose and base-flanges integral with said nose and extending forwardly from the deiiecting-faces.

` 4t. In a mechanical stoker, the combination with the bed having the downwardlycurved forwardly-projecting portion, a reciproeatory plunger guided on said bed and having a fuel-projecting nose at its forward end provided with a downwardly-curved under surface and rearwardly and outwardly extending defleeting-faoes, of a power mechanism for reciprocating said plunger, a hopper for supplying fuel in front of said plunger and a pivoted door through which the fuel is carried by the plunger; substantially as described.

5. In a mechanical Stoker, the combination with the hopper, of the reciprocatory plunger working through the base of said hopper and having a fuel-projecting nose at itsforw-ard end embodying a downwardlycurved convex upper surface and laterallyinclined side faces and a door hinged at its upper edge and adapted to contact with the downwardly-curved upper surface of the plunger; substantially as described.

6. In ameehanical stoker, the combination with lthe door-frame, the door hinged thereto at its upper edge and supported in an inclined position when closed and a means for holding said door closed with a yielding pressure, of a plunger mounted to reciprocate in line with the door-opening and having a fuel-projecting nose at its forward end cmbodying a `downwardly-curved convex upper surface with which the under edge of the door is adapted to contact; substantially as described.

7. In a mechanical stoker, the combination with the reciproeatory plunger having the fuel-projecting nose at its forward end and the cylinder and piston for moving said plunger, `of a valve mechanism controllingr the admission and exhaust ports of the cylinder, embodying an oscillatory valve, oppositely-arranged levers for oscillating said valve in opposite directions and cooperating inelines and projections on the plunger and levers respectively, for moving one or the other of said levers as the plunger reaches opposite extremes of its movements.

- 8. In a mechanical stoker, the combinalOO lIO

IIS

tion With a reciprocatory plunger having a fuel-projecting nose at its'forward end and a cylinder and piston for reciprocating said plunger,-.of a valve controlling the exhaust and admission ports of the cylinder and a valve-gear embodying an oscillatory valverod, oppositely-projecting arms on said rod7 levers co eratng With said arms oppositely- I arranged evers extending substantially par- Io allel with the line of plunger movement, links connecting said last-mentioned levers and valve-operating levers, and coperating projections and inclines on the levers and plun# ger respectively for shifting one or the other, of said levers as the plunger reaches the ex- 15y tremes of its movement.

WILLIAM H.

Witnesses:

W. H. KEATING, l

J. E. WHITAKER.

sTRoUsE. 

